1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an above-ground device that semi-automatically tees golf balls at practice areas such as driving ranges, without requiring the golfer to bend down and tee each golf ball by hand following each practice shot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the most common activities that golfers engage in to hone their golfing skills is the practice of hitting golf balls at driving ranges. There, usually for a fee, a golfer is provided with a supply of golf balls (commonly referred to as "a bucket of balls") and a teeing area from where he or she can practice hitting golf balls. Before the golfer can hit a practice ball, he or she must first bend down to place a golf ball upon a tee. After the practice shot is taken, the golfer must repeat this procedure to prepare the next practice shot.
The repetitive bending by the golfer to set up a practice shot is disadvantageous both to the golfer and to the driving range operator. Bending down to set up the next shot interferes with the golfer's primary objective of practicing the hitting of golf balls. It drains the golfer's energy so that the golfer may not be strong enough to benefit from the entire practice session. Bending down also interrupts, or at least interferes with, the golfer's objective to perfect his or her golf swing. A golf swing is a complex process that depends upon the golfer's stance, grip of the golf club, the travel path of the golf club and various other factors. It would be ideal if a practicing golfer could alter one of the factors in his or her swing, evaluate the result, and with minimal delay and interruption, make another controlled change. Or, having found a swing that he or she likes, such a golfer would benefit if he or she could repeat that swing without undue delay or interruptions, until the golfer learns that swing. The process of bending down to set up the next shot interferes with the golfer's analysis and review of the last shot and the planning for the next shot. Also, the golfer's body position as he or she bends down, is so different from the golfer's swinging stance, that the golfer is not able to duplicate his or her last swing position in order to build upon the prior experience. The device of the present invention eliminates these disadvantages for the practicing golfer.
The operator of the driving range also benefits from the elimination of these disadvantages. The fee paid at a driving range is for a bucket of balls. It is not an hourly fee for the use of the driving range. Therefore, if the time in which the practicing golfer exhausts his supply of practice golf balls can be reduced, the driving range operator's income will increase, either through the sale of more buckets of balls or through the ability to accommodate a greater number of patrons. Obviously, the elimination of the necessity for the golfer to bend down to set up each shot will reduce the overall time required to hit a bucket of balls. Furthermore, when golfers improve their skills as a result of practicing at a driving range that has the device of the present invention, that driving range will gain increased income from repeat business and from new business as a result of endorsements from satisfied customers.
Numerous devices have been developed to enable the practicing golfer to set up a practice shot without bending down. Most are below-ground devices. One class of devices comprises a hopper containing a supply of golf balls from which the balls are removed one-at-a-time and each ball, in its turn, is placed upon a tee below ground. Then, the tee and the ball are raised above ground for the golfer's use. Once the golfer hits the ball, the mechanical cycle is repeated as the tee, without the ball descends below ground to receive the next golf ball from the hopper. Examples of these devices are U.S. Pat. No. 1,545,959, issued to D. Huyler on Jul. 14, 1925, U.S. Pat. No. 2,948,536, issued to R. F. Koener on Aug. 9, 1960 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,737, issued to Timothy P. Rau and Galen F. Byler on Mar. 18, 1997. Another class of devices comprises of a pair of tees connected to the opposite ends of an arm that pivots at its center. Through mechanical linkages located below ground, this arrangement permits the tees to have an alternating up-and-down movement. Thus, a ball is placed over the hole of a first tee that is at ground level. Downward pressure on the second tee that is above ground lowers the second tee to ground level and raises the first tee. The rising tee lifts the golf ball above it and presents it to the golfer for hitting. After the golfer hits the ball, the mechanical cycle is repeated by placing the next ball over the hole of the second tee that is at ground level and depressing the first tee down to ground level thereby raising the second tee. An example of this device is U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,101, issued to John J. O'Keefe on Oct. 29, 1996.
These below-ground devices all suffer from the same disadvantages that have prevented their commercial acceptance. They are expensive to manufacture, and because they must be installed below ground, they are expensive to install. Their installation also disrupts the operation of the driving range. Once installed, these devices require continuing maintenance, ranging from periodic lubrication to replacement of parts worn or damaged by dirt, moisture and repeated use.